Four grizzly bears confirmed involved in fatal Bella Coola attack
November 10 2026, BELLA COOLA - Forensic testing has confirmed that four grizzly bears captured in the Bella Coola area were all involved in the attack that killed Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said Tuesday.
Inspector Jeff Tyre said evidence from the investigation and animal DNA conclusively linked a sow and her three offspring to the deaths. The four bears have been dispatched in accordance with provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines to protect the public.
The sow was tentatively aged in her late teens by the wildlife veterinarian and biologist, with laboratory confirmation still pending. The three offspring were all cubs of the year.
Tyre said all four had to be destroyed because bears involved in fatal attacks on people cannot be rehabilitated or relocated.
“This type of behaviour presents an extreme risk to the public,” Inspector Tyre said.
The investigation found the attack likely involved predatory behaviour, which Tyre described as very rare.
“We don’t know how it started, but we know how it ended,” he said.
Tyre noted that, according to the information available to him, there have been only two grizzly fatalities in the province since 2012.
Questioned by a reporter, Tyre said the service has not seen an increase in bear conflicts in the valley. He also declined to provide further details on the predatory behaviour in this case out of respect for the family.
More than a dozen conservation officers took part in the response over the past week in difficult terrain and weather while managing risks to the public and officer safety.
Expedited DNA testing confirmed the four bears were not involved in the November 2025 attack on a school group near Bella Coola.
Nuxalk Nation elected Chief Councillor Samuel Schooner said the attack has been deeply re-triggering for community members still recovering from a separate unrelated incident November of 2025 in which a grizzly bear attacked a group of about 20 elementary-school students and teachers on a trail near the community, seriously injuring 11 people (including three children and one adult who were airlifted to hospital) and was never captured.
Schooner expressed gratitude to the Conservation Officer Service for their coordinated and careful response, and noted that community supports remain in place. He asked media to contact Inspector Tyre and his team rather than community members directly at this time.
Balcarras and Reed were reported missing on Sunday, November 1, the day after they went for a walk on the Snooka West Trail.
Their vehicle was found at the trailhead. Remains of one person were located Monday afternoon; the second person was found deceased Tuesday afternoon.
Balcarras had recently moved to Bella Coola and was working as an art therapist and school counsellor.
Family described the trail as a short, familiar walk close to home. The trail is roughly eight kilometres east of Bella Coola off Highway 20. (See earlier ExNews coverage: https://www.exnews.net/vernon-news/two-women-killed-in-suspected-grizzly-attack-near-bella-coola)
The community has been in shock. Both Schooner and the Central Coast Teacher’s Association previously issued statements of condolence. A GoFundMe was started to help the family with funeral expenses.
The November 2025 attack involved a grizzly that charged a group of about 20 elementary school students and teachers near the community, seriously injuring several people. The bear responsible for that attack was never captured.
Tyre said the service remains committed to working with the Nuxalk Nation and the Bella Coola community to help prevent future bear conflicts.
The full virtual media availability with Inspector Jeff Tyre and Chief Samuel Schooner is available here: https://www.youtube.com/live/GJRbpvkpf7M
Correction: An earlier version of this story listed Selah Reed’s age as 19, based on initial reporting. Subsequent coverage and family statements indicate she was 20. The story has been updated.
Four grizzly bears confirmed involved in fatal Bella Coola attack
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